


Dream life

by Kiki923



Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Dad Tom Hiddleston, F/M, Fire, Fluff, Gen, I Made Myself Cry, Other, Temporary Character Death, Tissue Warning, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 02:17:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2293292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiki923/pseuds/Kiki923
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom and his wife have been married for two years and have a son named Jacob. It's everything they ever dreamed of. Sometimes your dreams can be a hard to handle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dream life

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written based off of an 'Imagine if' scenario that a friend posted on Facebook. I kind of changed her original idea a bit and expanded on it. If you hadn't already noticed the tag above, I cried a bit when I wrote this. If you are a sensitive soul, make sure you have tissues handy.

As Rachel attempted to roll over in bed she found herself trapped in her husbands sleepy embrace. She had been married to Tom for a little over two years now, yet she was just getting used to sharing the bed with him again. He had been gone filming for the past couple months until he couldn't stand being gone any longer. Actually, the reason for his eagerness to rush back home was currently tucked into his crib two doors down the hall. Their ten month old son Jacob had been sharing the bed with them since his father had returned. That was until Rachel finally convinced Tom that he wouldn't miss anything while they all slept and that they had bought the baby monitors for a reason. Even then he insisted that the monitor be placed on his night stand so he would be able to hear his son throughout the night.

Rachel knew from the beginning that Tom would be a great father, devoted and loving with every fiber of his being. She also knew once they found out she was pregnant that it would be the hardest thing for him to do, balancing his aspirations for his career with his desire to be the best father and husband possible. This was the first test of that struggle and in Tom's mind he had failed on the family side of things.

From the time Rachel was half way through the pregnancy to 7 months after Jacob was born Tom had been present everyday. It was quite a change from any other point in their relationship, in more ways than one, and the longest amount of time they had spent together without interruption from his schedule. Though she rarely felt at a loss for affection from him she was completely blown away by the magnification of his love and gratitude for what was, in his words, the greatest gift anyone had ever given him. The moment he found out she was pregnant he stopped taking on anymore commitments for appearances, refused to even look at another script, and flew home immediately after finishing all the engagements he couldn't get out of.

Tom went to every doctors appointment with his wife and when the first sonogram was done he not only had a copy made for the baby book, but also one for his wallet and he took a picture to use as the home screen for his phone. Once it was far enough along in the pregnancy that going out in public started pregnancy rumors Tom announced the news the way only he could, by tweeting his apologies to his fans for what would be a long absence while proudly proclaiming his impending fatherhood. He also tweeted a picture of himself kissing Rachel's growing stomach and asked if in utero was to soon to introduce a child to The Bear Necessities. 

His enthusiasm only flourished more after the birth. Tom never shied away from nappy changing duty, no matter how nasty it got. He woke up for all the middle of the night feedings, even though all he could do was sit behind his wife for support while she breast fed their son. After a few weeks of strict breast feeding it was also Tom who suggested switching to half breast/ half bottle feedings so that they could take turns waking with Jacob. Once Rachel agreed he ran right out to the store, buying the best breast pump available so that even with bottle feedings Jacob wouldn't miss out on the natural milk his mother could offer. He was completely overjoyed the first time Jacob drank from the bottle and he was able to help nourish his son.

Tom was everything Rachel knew he would be in a husband and father, willingly taking on any task his family needed him to while setting his career aside. But she knew that wouldn't las forever.

Sure enough after nearly a year away from any new roles, Tom was offered a leading role in a production that would take him from home again. He politely refused, wanting to remain with his family for a while longer, but Rachel could tell the refusal was hard for him. This was a role he really wanted to take, but now that he had a family he didn't feel it was right to just drop everything to go after it.

It had taken Rachel a while to get Tom to admit his desire for the role, and after that she had to convince him to take it. Telling him how she knew that this was his life when they got together and how he wasn't the only actor with a family. Promising him it wouldn't change how she thought about him, that she would love him no matter what. Reassuring him the she could handle everything with their son while he was gone. He only agreed however, after discussing what his schedule would be and figuring out how to Skype with him everyday so that he could at least see his family if he wasn't able to be there in person.

That plan had worked for a while, until Jacob had said 'Dada' during one Skype session. Tom had broken into tears of joy and sadness when his son had called out to him while reaching for the screen. It was the first time Jacob had said 'Dada' where they could tell he was specifically talking about Tom. The sweet moment held a taint of sorrow as all Tom could so was answer back to his child, telling him how much Dada loves him while blowing kisses to the screen.

That moment had been the catalyst for Tom's rush to come home. After that he had worked frantically, calling Luke to help him cancel or reschedule and any all engagement possible while he finished filming. When he arrived home he all but shut out the rest of the world, leaving Luke to explain his sudden disappearance as he focused on his family once more.

Tom was so heart broken over having been away from his son during such a momentous occasion that he had a hard time even allowing him to sleep in his own room through the night. It was really quite adorable at first, then it went on over a week and became a bit ridiculous. At the two week mark Rachel had had enough of it. She loved her son, but mommy needed daddy time too.

So mommy had to convince daddy once again that Jacob would be fine without his constant presence, especially through the night, which they all slept through anyway. Or at least they had until Jacob had to wake up tonight.

"Tom, your son is calling for you, Rachel said as she attempted to shift in the bed once more so that she could face him.

"He's just my son now is he?" Tom replied, releasing his hold so she could move.

"When you mess with his schedule so that he no longer sleeps through the night he is." She pushed against his chest to get him to move out of the bed. "Now go."

"Yes darling," Tom said, sitting up in bed. He rubbed his face while he yawned, attempting to wake up a bit more before retrieving his child. As he inhaled, his barely conscious brain registered a scent that threw him off guard. "Do you smell smoke?"

"What?" Rachel asked, pushing herself up from her attempt to go back to sleep.

"Smoke," he said. "I swear I smell smoke." He was now completely awake yet still confused over where the smell was coming from. Leaving the bed, he shuffled his bare feet over to the bedroom door and opened it. Smoke came pouring in to the room accompanied by the sounds of crackling wood. Tom turned back to the bed and coughed as the sudden burst of smoke assaulted his lungs. "Rachel get up now! There's a fire, we have to get out of the house!" 

Tom stayed long enough to ensure his wife was moving out of the bed before turning back to retrieve his son, more desperate now than when he had just assumed his son wanted a cuddle. He could taste the smoke that surrounded him and felt the heat of the fire that was consuming their home as he passed the bathroom on his way to his Jacob's door. Once his hand hit the door knob there was a loud crash behind him. He turned to see a large beam from the ceiling had fallen and there was now a wall of fire separating him from his wife. "Rachel," he shouted, unable to reach her.

"Tom!" She called back, color drained from her face in the light of the flame. "Oh my god! Jacob! You have to get Jacob and get out of here!"

"I will. I've got him, I promise. But you have to get out of here too. Take the back stairs and then come around front. We'll meet you there," he told her, trying to fill his voice with a strength he didn't really feel under the circumstances. 

Rachel disappeared from his sight as she ran towards the staircase that would lead her out back. Tom moved once again to save his son. Jacob was still crying when Tom walked in, sitting in his crib with his tiny fists gripping the railing. As soon as his father reached for him Jacob let go of his hold on the crib, allowing himself to be scooped up into Tom's arms. "It's alright Jacob, daddy has you," Tom soothed. Grabbing the blanket out of the crib, Tom covered his son to keep the smoke out if his face. Darting out of the room Tom made for the stairs, making it halfway down only to find his path out side blocked by the fire. Frantic to escape and save them both he turned and ran back towards his son's room. His only option left was to hope Rachel had made it out front and could help them out of the window.

That hope was short lived and Tom's heart dropped when he reached the top of the stairs. Jacob's door was now engulfed in flames and they were trapped. The only room left was a study with no windows and no chance for escape on their own. Tom sought refuge in that room with his son, grabbing a picture of his wife off of the desk on his way to the far wall. Sinking down to the floor he curled his body around his son and prayed for their rescue.

"Dada," Jacob cried, chubby cheeks wet with tears while he wiggled in his fathers arms. "Dada. Mum mum. Mum Dada."

"I know Jacob. I know. I love you. I'm sorry," Tom said, his own tears flowing now as he kissed his sons forehead. "I'm so sorry. I failed you. I'm so so sorry. I love you. I love you and Mommy so much."

Outside Rachel had made it to the front yard and was looking around for Tom and Jacob. "Tom! Tom where are you?" She shouted. "Tom?!"

"Rachel," a male voice called back. She turned to find her neighbor running towards her. "Rachel, oh my god. I saw the fire, are you okay?"

"Brad," she relied to her neighbor. "I don't know, I can't," she started, still looking around frantically. "I can't find Tom. He was supposed to come out the front. Have you seen him?"

"No, I came out here right after I called the fire department. I haven't seen anyone but you."

"What? They had to come out, they can't be in there," Rachel panicked, turning back to the house. "I have to go back in, I have to get them."

"Rachel you can't. There's no way in, it's not safe," Brad told her, holding onto her arm to prevent her from going in. "You need to wait, the fire department will be here soon, they'll get them."

"No! It will be to late, let me go." She tried to tug her arm out of his grip, pulling him along as she moved towards the house.

"I'm not letting you go in there," his grip on her wrist tightened and he made to grab her other arm. She fought against him, determined to go back for her family. "Rachel stop, think about this. It's too dangerous."

"That's why I have to go back in! They need me!"

"They need the fire department and it's on the way. There is nothing more you can do."

Rachel could hear the sirens coming in the distance, but it wasn't enough to convince her. She knew every second brought her closer to loosing her family. She pulled harder against Brad's grip and just as she had freed herself a loud explosion rocked the ground and the house fell in on itself, Tom and Jacob still trapped inside.

"No!" She screamed, collapsing onto the ground, eyes immediately filled with tears. "No!" Brad knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her, but she felt nothing as her body racked with sobs. "No, it can't, I can't..."

"Rachel I'm sorry," Brad said.

"No. They aren't, they're not," she couldn't complete the thought.

"Rachel," Brad said and he rocked her back and forth. 

"They got out. They had to."

"Rachel darling," Brad soothed, and she could swear she heard her husbands voice.

"No Tom," she cried. "No."

"Rachel darling, wake up," he rocks her again. "Darling your having a bad dream, wake up. Come on love."

Rachel is pulled out of her dream and into consciousness, but the emotions are still raw and raging with in her. Tears stream down her face as she calls out, "No! No, no, no! They can't be gone! They can't!"

"Darling, Rachel, calm down," Tom's says in a calm voice, pulling Rachel into his chest, holding her tight. "It was all a dream. Just a dream."

"Tom," she replies, clinging to him in desperation to prove he is real. "It was so horrible. I can't..."

"It was a dream love, nothing more, he says, rubbing circles on her back. "It can't hurt you. It's not real." As her sobs start to calm down he continues, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"It was horrible Tom. The house was on fire. The smoke alarms didn't go off. We only woke up because Jacob was screaming. You ran to his room but I couldn't get there, the fire blocked me. You told me to run out the back while you grabbed Jacob and ran out front. But you didn't come out Tom, you got trapped inside. The house collapsed and you didn't make it. I lost you, I lost you both."

Rachel's cries escalated again and Tom pulled her in tighter. "Darling, you haven't lost anything. We're safe, nothing happened."

"But it seemed so real. I could feel it all. I don't ever want to go through something like that. I can't loose you." Her words were strangled and hard to hear, Tom could just barely make them out.

Tom pulled back slightly before speaking, "Hold on a minute, I'll be right back." He stepped out if the room and left her alone, still crying. Rachel was desperate to have him back at her side, but was unable to move in the grief from the dream. A moment later Tom walked back in, a squirming bundle in his arms. "Here we are love," he coos at the baby. "Mommy had a bad dream. I think she could use a snuggle. What do you say, should we snuggle with Mommy?"

Tom slipped back into the bed with the baby in his arms. Scooting over to his wife, he pulled her close next to him before placing their son in between. The family was now safe and sound, tucked into the bed together.

"There darling, is that better?" Tom asks. "Now we're all right here and you can see we're safe."

Rachel leans down and kisses Jacobs forehead while placing a hand in his chest, the rise and fall giving her the reassurance that he is alive and well. Looking up at to. She notes the concern in his eyes. She gives him a soft kiss on the lips before speaking. "Thank you Tom. This is perfect. This is just what I needed. I love you both."

"And we love you too, don't we Jacob?"

"Mum mum, Dada Mum," Jacob babbled sleepily. 

The trio slipped into a peaceful slumber, wrapped in one another's arms.


End file.
